The Wanderers
by Darkelvoriplorellion Tyler
Summary: Lilith joins the Fifth Doctor, Tegan and Turlough as they crash land on the planet Frontios, a human colony where deaths go unaccounted for. What's beneath the surface, dragging its victims down? Twelfth in the Lilith!verse.
1. Prologue

Tegan and Turlough were sitting in the console room, Turlough listening to the sounds of banging from the interior. Then it went very quiet.

"The Doctor's all right," Tegan told Turlough, dismissively. "He gets like this sometimes. Nothing to worry about."

The banging started up again.

"Well, I suppose it's none of my business," Turlough sighed.

They both turned around and jumped in surprise. A red haired girl had appeared in the center of the room and was looking around. When her eyes landed on the two, she lit up. "Tegan and Turlough, right?" she said, bounding over and shaking both of their hands. "I'm Lilith."

"How did you get on the TARDIS?" Turlough asked.

Lilith held up her arm, showing the two companions what looked like a large technologically advanced watch. "It's called a vortex manipulator. Not nearly as fun or as safe as the TARDIS, but it gets me from place to place."

"And who—?"

The Doctor burst in. "Not hat people, are you? Either of you?"

"What?"

"Wear them much, I mean. I only do when I go out." He grabbed the hat stand. "It's silly to have this thing getting in everyone's way."

Tegan threw her hands up. "I don't believe it. There's so much to do aboard this ship and all you're worried about is tidying away the hat stand."

"Well, I have to start somewhere." The Doctor turned to take the stand out of the room, but came face to face with Lilith instead.

"Hello!" she chirped.

"Ah, it's you," he said, and stepped around her.

Lilith rolled her eyes. "Well, hi to you too, Dad."

"Dad?" Tegan exclaimed.

Both Gallifreyans pretended not to hear her. "You know, I don't know why you were complaining about the other desktop. I mean, just look it this one. It's all white and bland. At least the coral one has some color."

"You've never complained about this desktop before," the Doctor sniffed.

"That's 'cause I've never seen it before," Lilith told him. "This is my first time going this far back in your timeline."

"Do you know this girl, Doctor?" demanded Tegan.

The Doctor nodded. "I've met her a few times. She thinks she's my daughter from the future."

"That's because I _am_ ," Lilith insisted. "You don't have to believe me, not yet. But you will eventually."

"Doctor?" Turlough interjected. "Something's happening to the controls."

The Doctor went over to him. The monitor on the console says, 'Boundary Error: Time Parameters Exceeded'. "Ah, we must be on the outer limits. The TARDIS has drifted too far into the future. We'll just slip into hover mode for a while."

"Time Parameters? There's a limit of where you can go?" Lilith questioned.

The Doctor looked at her. "Of course. Does your TARDIS not alert you when you go to far?"

"Evidently not, as she once took us to the year one hundred trillion."

"But that's the end of the universe! Not even the Time Lords have gone that far forward."

"It's not a trip I'd recommend. It was cold, dark, and filled with Futurekind and the Master." Lilith shuddered. "Not the best place for a picnic."

Tegan looked at the monitor on the other side of the console. "We're in the Veruna system, wherever that is."

"Ooh, Veruna! There's irony for you." The Time Lady laughed.

"What is?"

"Veruna is where one of the last surviving groups of mankind took shelter in the great, er." The Doctor hesitated. "Yes. Well, I suppose you've got all that to look forward to, haven't you?"

"In the great what, Doctor?" Tegan asked.

"All civilizations have their ups and downs," the Doctor replied, vaguely.

Turlough read from the monitor. "Fleeing from the imminence of a catastrophic collision with the sun, a group of refugees from the _doomed_ planet Earth—"

"Yes, that's enough, Turlough," the Doctor said, firmly.

"Yes, thank you, Turlough." Lilith grinned.

Tegan turned on the scanner to view the planet. "You mean some of the last humans are on this planet?"

"Yes."

"Can we land? Can we visit them?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Laws of time."

Lilith snorted. "Since when has that ever stopped you?"

"Now, we mustn't interfere. Colony's too new, one generation at the most. The future hangs in the balance. Now, I've got another one of these somewhere. Put them side by side, we'll have a pair." The Doctor carried his hat stand out of the console room.


	2. Part 1

"I can't believe it." Tegan sighed.

"It would be interesting to go down, wouldn't it?" Turlough mused. The Doctor came in. "Er, Doctor, we were—"

"Impossible. Time's up." The Doctor went over to the console.

"What happens to them, Doctor?" asked Tegan.

"Knowledge has its limits," he said. "Ours reaches this far and no further."

Lilith cocked her head to the side. "You said this version of you was _fun_."

The TARDIS shuddered. The Doctor frowned. "Stabilizers are failing. Have to get out of here."

"It's a meteorite storm," Turlough said, looking at the scanner.

The Doctor shook his head. "The TARDIS should be able to resist this sort of thing. The console's jammed!"

Everyone but Lilith grabbed onto the console. She just stood there with her arms crossed.

"We're being dragged towards the planet!" Turlough exclaimed.

"How?" Tegan inquired.

"Gravitational pull, probably," Lilith guessed. "But that shouldn't effect the TARDIS, should it?"

Tegan tightened her grip on the console. "Doctor, do something."

"Don't panic." A well-placed thump got the time rotor moving.

Lilith, who had been watching with amusement, giggled. "You're not used to flying without stabilizers, are you?"

"Are they broken in your time?" the Doctor questioned.

"Nope, you just don't use them." She snickered. "They're blue boring-ers, apparently."

"'Boring-ers' isn't a word," Turlough pointed out.

Lilith shrugged. "Neither is 'jiggery-pokery', 'wibbly-wobbly', 'timey-wimey', or 'spacey-wacey', but he uses those anyway."

"Are you sure the Doctor's your father?"

"He gets _weird_ in his old age."

The Doctor cleared his throat and pulled the materialization lever. The TARDIS materialized as the meteor shower ended.

"Meteorite shower," he said, poking his head out the doors. "My least favorite sort of weather." A nearby woman groaned and he ran to help her. "Come along."

Turlough helped him get her to her feet.

"This way." Tegan waved them over to the doors. Inside was what Lilith assumed was a medical center. It was a rough and ready stone-built place with one patient lying on the top of a basic metal bunk bed. "In here; over here."

Turlough and Tegan helped their person into the other bunk bed. A man sat his patient down on a step in the flooring. "We shall need the emergency supplies."

"Leave it to me," the Doctor said.

"Oh, thank you, sir."

The Doctor and Lilith helped him carry the patient forward to another section, where there was a padded examination couch. "I shall need some antiseptic and bandages," the Doctor instructed. He took off his jacket and handed it to Lilith.

"Look," said the man, "I'm the Chief Science Officer. Who are—?"

"It would help if we could see what we're doing," the Doctor interrupted.

The Science Officer snapped his fingers and beckoned an orderly, who held up a green lamp.

Lilith frowned. "A phosphor lamp?"

Turlough took it from the orderly. "These are a terrible fire hazard in this sort of container, you know."

"Better hold it steady then, hadn't you?" the Doctor said.

"Oh, would you look at that?" Lilith muttered. "He's rude and not ginger."

Tegan studied the lamp. "How does it work?"

"Well, it's electron excitation. If you give them a shake, they get a bit brighter." Turlough shook the lamp.

"Stop that, would you?" The Doctor turned to the officer. "Is this the best you can do?"

He looked at the Doctor, incredulously. "Yes, I'm afraid it is."

"We need some proper lighting. Turlough, the TARDIS. I'll need the portable mu-field activator."

"Doctor, you did say—"

"And five of the argon discharge globes."

Turlough sighed and handed the lamp to Tegan.

"Oh, and all medical supplies," the Doctor added.

"Anything else?" Turlough asked, almost sarcastically.

"Yes, you'd better give him a hand, Tegan."

Tegan nodded. "Right-o, Doctor." She gave the lamp to the officer.

"Lilith—"

"Don't even think about it," Lilith warned him.

A young girl brought over a tray of instruments. "This is my daughter, Norna," the officer introduced. "And you—"

"Time for social niceties later. Better get started, hmm?"

Lilith raised her eyebrows. ' _You_ really _don't want to be here, do you?_ '

' _Get out of my head, Lilith._ '

"Yes, well, you'll want soap and water first," Norna said.

"Yes, good idea," the Doctor agreed, putting on what the Tenth Doctor had called his 'brainy specs'. Lilith laughed to herself.

"It's very good of you to help us, Mister…"

The Doctor took off his specs. "I'm not helping, officially. And if anyone happens to ask whether I made any material difference to the welfare of this planet, you can tell them I came and went like a summer cloud."

He took his coat back from Lilith and noticed some people gathering in the doorway.

"They're curious to know who you are," the officer said.

"Perhaps you could ask them to move. They're rather blocking the air." The Doctor picked up a piece of one of the meteors. "It's interesting. How often do you have meteorite showers?"

"Intermittently. Although the attacks have become more frequent over the last few weeks.

"The attacks?" the Doctor questioned.

"Oh yes. We're at war."

He suddenly looked interested. "Really? With whom?"

"Well, that has yet to be determined," the officer admitted. "As you can see, we're helpless."

"Not if I have anything to do with it. How do you do? I'm the Doctor." He offered the man his hand.

Lilith rolled her eyes. "So now that there's a war to prevent, we can get involved."

The man looked a little surprised at the Doctor's change in behavior. "Oh, hello. My name is Range."

Something behind Range caught the Doctor's eye. "You've been keeping us unnecessarily in the dark, Mister Range. You didn't tell me you had a hydrazine steam generator."

Lilith narrowed her eyes at it. It looked more like an old-fashioned boiler to her. Then she turned her attention to the Doctor.

His outfit wasn't as ridiculous as it could be, but that stick of celery was just strange. Did every regeneration have a quirk like that? She wondered. She knew Two had his recorder, Four had his scarf, and Seven had his umbrella. And then there was her linear father's obsession with bowties and fezzes.

"It's very interesting," the Doctor was saying as he studied the hydrazine steam generator.

"It used to generate a basic form of energy, but we no longer have any fuel," Range said. "This planet is without wood or any combustible material."

"What about the colony ship?" the Doctor questioned. "Must have been brimming with gadgetry."

"Oh, systems that could rebuild a civilization for us. Failure-proof technology."

"What happened to it all?"

"My guess," Lilith said, "it failed. I've been on to many unsinkable ships not to know what 'failure-proof' really means."

"She's right. Nothing survived the crash."

Tegan ran in. "Doctor! Doctor, something's happened to the TARDIS. The interior door's jammed."

"As if some tremendous force field's pulled it out of shape," Turlough said.

"It couldn't be the impact of landing, could it?" Tegan asked.

"The TARDIS? No, no, no. Probably just some spatial anomaly. You're getting carried away again, Turlough. One thing at a time. Where's the mu-field activator?"

"I'm trying to tell you. It's behind—"

"It's behind the interior door. Yes, of course." The Doctor looked down at the phosphor lamp. "Excitation." He shook the lamp.

Turlough protested, "You told me not to do that."

"Oh, it's risky, but then so is operating in this gloom."

"Don't worry, Turlough," Lilith said. "He doesn't generally listen to his own advice."

"Have you ever tried putting a higher voltage across one of these things?" the Doctor asked no one in particular.

"Doctor, the TARDIS!" Tegan insisted.

"Yes. There must be something on this planet capable of sustaining a steady voltage," the Doctor mused.

Lilith rolled her eyes. "Dad, if there is something wrong with the TARDIS, shouldn't we make sure she's alright?" He ignored her.

"Lilith," Turlough called from the doorway, "coming with us?"

Lilith shook her head. "Can't. I have to stay with him."

Tegan, Turlough, and Norna left.

"Tell me about this war, Mister Range," the Doctor requested.

"Well, Captain Revere assumed that the barrage was some sort of softening up process. Heralding an invasion," he said.

"So someone else thinks this is their territory?" Lilith asked.

"Frontios was quite deserted when we arrived," Range said.

"So you did nothing to provoke an attack."

"No. The few that survived the crash had no time for anything but bare survival. We worked to raise food."

"Dangerous, surely," the Doctor pointed out. "Out in the fields with the risk of bombardment."

"Oh, there was no bombardment then. We had ten years of clear skies to stock the wreck of the colony ship with food, and then it began. Yes, the first missile a little over thirty years ago."

"Thirty years? Your unknown invaders are certainly taking their time."

"Unknown no longer, perhaps," a new young man said. "Could it be that one of them calls himself the Doctor?"

Lilith rocked back on her heels. "Ah, we've reached the 'leadership accuses the Doctor of being evil' part of the adventure."

The Doctor frowned. "Does it happen that often?"

"Not as often as you may think."

"Look," he said to the young man, "I'm not really here at all, officially. And as soon as I've helped Mister Range with arrangements, we'll be on our way."

"Do you feel free to come and go as you please?"

"Going, yes, coming, no. We were forced down."

"I see. You landed during the bombardment and yet you appear unharmed," the young man said, suspiciously.

"I'm sorry, we didn't know there was a war on. At first we thought it was some sort of meteorite storm."

"And what do you think now?"

"I think your shelters are totally inadequate and your warning system does nothing but create panic."

The young man looked affronted. "I did not ask—"

"Your population has already fallen below critical value required for guaranteed growth and you're regularly losing new lives," the Doctor continued. "I think, and you did ask what I think, I think your colony of Earth people is in grave danger of extinction."

"Who are you to give me advice?" the man demanded. "I am the son of Captain Revere. The people of Frontios will not be cowed by these mewling words of defeat, Doctor. We may lack the outward appurtenances of might, but we carry our strength within us. We will win the war with the invisible aggressors whose missiles batter on our planet, and we will win the greater battle, the struggle for the future of our race."

' _Admirable, but I still don't like him,_ ' Lilith decided. ' _Can I hit him?_ '

' _No_.' "Absolutely," the Doctor said aloud. "I wish you all the luck in the world. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to give you anything much in the way of help."

"We're under no illusions about that, Doctor," the young man snapped. "We can see for ourselves the results of your help."

"The Doctor has helped," Range insisted. "He's been caring for the sick, and he's going to arrange for some proper light by getting that thing—"

"The hydrazine engine!" He snatched a piece of tech out of the Doctor's hand. "This invader has interfered with the great gift my father bestowed upon the people of Frontios."

"I'm sorry," the Doctor apologized. "I was working out a way of getting some decent light in here."

"We people of Frontios are vulnerable, Doctor. Desperate, frightened even. But we are not fools."

Lilith thought he looked like a fool when the Doctor tried again to explain how they had gotten to Frontios.

"No craft the size of yours is capable of traversing the universe," the young man dismissed.

"If I had a spare millennium I might bring you up to date on time mechanics. Unfortunately, we have this lighting problem and a ward full of people needing medical attention."

Another person came in and whispered something to the young man, whose name, Lilith caught, was Plantagenet.

"Another bombardment," Range said, nodding towards the window.

"What? Again?" the Doctor asked.

"There's the darkening of the sky. Oh, it's all right, the Warnsman will sound his klaxon at the first sign."

"You came with two more accomplices. They have been seen on the colony ship, aided by your treacherous daughter." The last was aimed at Range.

"Paranoia. Your minds are being eaten away by the scale of the disaster we call Frontios. Can't you see this man is here to help us?"

"I say treachery, Mister Range. Are you guilty too?"

Range walked away, shaking his head.

"You know," the Doctor said, "we can sort all this out in no time at all if everyone just stays calm. Now please, come and see the TARDIS. As an invasion weapon it's about as offensive as a chicken vol au vent."

Lilith sighed. "I don't think the old girl would take kindly to you comparing her to food, Dad."

They all followed the Doctor outside. "Its lack of armaments can be an embarrassment at times. Oh well, this way."

They ran into Turlough, who was half carrying on injured man. "Doctor."

"Oh dear, what have we here?"

"It's the Warnsman," Plantagenet said.

"Take him to the medical shelter," the other man, Brazen, ordered.

"Now, what's this?" the Doctor asked Norna and Tegan, referring to what looked like a big bottle of acid on a cinderblock.

"The battery for the lighting," Norna said.

"Brilliant! Take it inside. Hurry along." Two orderlies obeyed. "Now, where's the mu-field activator?"

"We told you, Doctor. We couldn't get any further than the console room," Tegan told him.

A meteor landed somewhere in the distance. "Doctor, can't we continue this conversation under cover?" Turlough suggested.

"Yes, indeed, in the TARDIS."

One meteor landed nearby and everyone scattered. The four travelers took cover on one side, Brazen and Plantagenet on the other.

"A swift exit, I think. We've had enough of this planet," the Doctor said.

"No arguments from me," Lilith mumbled. They made to leave, but another strike drove them back into their hiding place.

"It's getting lighter," Tegan observed.

"The attack's nearly over. Let's get out of here. Come on, the TARDIS." They got up and moved out from under the tent.

Lilith's eyes went wide. "Um, Dad?"

"The TARDIS!" Tegan gasped. "What's happened?"

"It's gone!" exclaimed Turlough.

All that was left was the hat stand.

The Doctor took a deep breath. "The TARDIS has been destroyed."


	3. Part 2

" _It's getting lighter," Tegan observed._

" _The attack's nearly over. Let's get out of here. Come on, the TARDIS." They got up and moved out from under the tent._

 _Lilith's eyes went wide. "Um, Dad?"_

" _The TARDIS!" Tegan gasped. "What's happened?"_

" _It's gone!" exclaimed Turlough._

 _All that was left was the hat stand._

 _The Doctor took a deep breath. "The TARDIS has been destroyed."_

* * *

"The TARDIS can't just disintegrate!" Tegan gaped.

"I'm afraid it has," Turlough whispered.

Plantagenet approached with one armed and the rest unarmed orderlies.

"Oh, marvelous. You're going to kill me. What a finely tuned response to the situation," the Doctor said, sarcastically.

"Best to dispatch him now," Brazen suggested.

Lilith put herself between the gun and the Doctor, and aimed her blaster at Plantagenet. "Don't even think about it."

"Lilith, put that away," the Doctor chided.

"My priority is the safety of you and your companions, Dad," Lilith snapped. "If they're going to point a gun at you, I'll point a gun at them."

"Kill them both."

"Wait!" Norna stood in front of Lilith.

"Get out of the way," Plantagenet snapped.

"Be careful, Norna," the Doctor warned.

Norna stood straight. "Why did Captain Revere dedicate the whole of his life to analyzing the rocks of Frontios?"

"Remove her!" ordered Brazen.

"No, wait," Plantagenet said. "Why do you ask when the reason is well known? My father sought the precious minerals beneath the soils."

"What precious minerals?" Norna asked. "Did he find any?"

"He knew there must be some reason for the perpetual carnage our neighbors inflict upon us."

"Well, if the Doctor is an invader, he has the answer to that question," she reasoned.

Range stepped out of the crowd. "Oh, Norna, I need some help with the lighting."

"No, wait." Plantagenet pointed to Tegan. "You go."

"I don't know anything about lighting," Tegan protested.

"Get on with it."

"Best do as they say," the Doctor told her. "We'll be safe as long as we remain calm. Now trust me." Tegan and Range left. "Lilith, you can lower your blaster now."

Grumbling, Lilith holstered her weapon.

Plantagenet crossed his arms. "Well, Doctor. Can you enlighten us as to the reason for these bombardments?"

The Doctor nodded. "In time, if you let me investigate. If, on the other hand, you're going to kill me, you'd better get on with it."

"Kill him."

Two orderlies grabbed Lilith's arms before she could grab her blaster again, and two more took hold of the Doctor.

"No!" Norna tried to wrestle the rifle from the orderly.

"This wasn't what I had in mind at all," the Doctor said.

Turlough backed away and grabbed the hat stand. There was a small explosion as he pulled it out of the ground and everyone scattered. Turlough brandished the foot end at the orderlies.

"What was that?" Norna gasped.

"Oh, just residual energy from the TARDIS," the Doctor said, dismissively.

"What is it?" Plantagenet whispered to Brazen

"The thing that brings down the bombardment," Brazen answered.

Lilith face palmed. "Just how stupid are you people?"

"Now, at last the colonists of Frontios are face to face with their persecutors. For my father's sake, Doctor, I should like that question answered," the leader demanded.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "What, the precious rocks under the soil business? Well, so would I. Whatever's going on here has put paid to my TARDIS."

"You deny you're at war with us?"

"If it is war, and I'm not so sure about that, then you and I, Plantagenet, are in the same shell hole. Now, does anyone know where these are coming from?" The Doctor picked up a piece of meteor,

"How is that not burning hot?" Lilith wondered.

"Well, we know it's one of the other planets in the Veruna system," Norna said. "Without instruments, it's impossible to tell which one."

"This rock analysis." The Doctor studied the piece of meteor. "You've been investigating the why fors. I think you should be looking into the where froms. Mister Range tells me you have a research room."

"The research room was sealed up, by the orders of the late Captain Revere," Brazen informed then.

"Well, if you want answers, you'd better unseal it."

"There's nothing in that room that could possibly be of any use to us," Plantagenet argued.

Turlough shook his head. "That's not true. It's full of invaluable equipment."

"You've been inside it?" Lilith asked.

"It's where we found the battery."

"The trouble is, if these good people don't want us inside," the Doctor said.

"Yes, Doctor. I think I know how to change their minds." Turlough threatened Plantagenet with the hat stand.

Plantagenet gulped. "Order the research room to be opened."

"A hat stand as a weapon." Lilith chucked. "I freaking love you."

* * *

Orderlies removed the grill from the door to the research room. The Doctor and Norna went in, followed by Brazen and Plantagenet. Lilith took the hat stand from Turlough. "I got it from here," she said and placed it in the corner.

"Well, here we are then. This should keep us busy." The Doctor brought a small microscope to a bench while Norna got a rack of test tubes. "Turlough, you can help."

"Er, I don't know a lot about chemical tests," Turlough said.

"I do," Norna offered.

"Good, good. I want to run a series on halides and silica."

Plantagenet raised a crowbar to whack Turlough.

"Look out!" Norna shouted.

But before he could strike, Plantagenet collapsed, clutching his chest. The Doctor went over to him. He removed Plantagenet's jacket and bared his chest. There was a red mark in the middle of his pale flesh. "Medical centre, quickly!"

Lilith frowned. "Shouldn't he have gotten hurt when he was hit?"

"Delayed effect of a glancing blow." Two orderlies carried Plantagenet away. The Doctor handed the meteorite to Norna. "I want you to stay here and start those tests. Lilith, come along."

They brought Plantagenet back to the medical center. Lilith held the door open.

"Tegan!" the Doctor called. "Ah. Those wires."

"What about them?" Tegan asked.

"Rip them down."

"I've only just put them up!" she protested.

"Jolly good. Now you can rip them down again. Damp cloths. Anything damp."

Plantagenet was laid on a mattress on a metal frame.

"What's the matter with him?" Brazen asked.

"Fibrillating," the Doctor said.

"What?"

"It's his heart," Lilith explained. "He'll get it going again."

The Doctor put the damp cloths either side of Plantagenet's ribcage then put the bare ends of the wires to them. "Are we ready?"

"Ready," Range confirmed.

"Now!"

Range pushed the electrodes into the acid jar. Plantagenet's back arched with the jolt of electricity.

"Again!" The Doctor checked for a heartbeat, and then sat back.

"You've killed him," Brazen accused.

Plantagenet opens his eyes. Lilith smirked. "Yes, he looks very dead to me."

"I admit it was touch and go for a minute," the Doctor said. "Try to get some rest."

"Rest." Plantagenet sighed. "Death is the only kind of rest you bring to Frontios."

"Don't exert yourself, Leader. We have everything under control," Brazen said.

"I have responsibilities. Frontios depends upon me."

"Nevertheless, I should take the Doctor's advice."

Plantagenet looked at his second in command. "You've changed your mind about him too?"

"I wouldn't commit myself on that, however it was the Doctor that saved your life."

"Doctor's all right. You must have realized that by now," Tegan insisted.

"You saved my life? Is this true?"

' _If just being here was going to cause issues, how much trouble are we in now?_ ' Lilith asked.

' _Not a word to the Time Lords,_ ' the Doctor replied.

' _They won't hear it from me._ ' She wondered what the Council of Gallifrey would think if they found out that, not only was the Doctor interfering where he shouldn't be (not that _that_ was anything new), but he was being helped by a Time Lady from his personal future whose mere presence was breaking _at least_ ten laws.

"You see, Doctor, Frontios is not the easiest planet to rule," Plantagenet said.

"After thirty years of bombardments, yes, I take your point."

Tegan brought another pillow to prop Plantagenet up. "Your friend Brazen doesn't trust us an inch."

"Ah, he's a good man, if a little narrow in his outlook."

"Where have I heard that before?" Lilith muttered. "Good man, narrow minded…"

"He's planning to move you to your quarters in the colony ship," Tegan told the leader.

"The colony ship?" Plantagenet shook his head. "No, I must stay here with my people."

The Doctor stood. "The democratic touch, eh?"

"Hardly democracy, Doctor. I must remain in public sight. If the people of Frontios think for one moment that I am dead, there will be anarchy."

"Now, what's making you so vulnerable to attack is the thin atmosphere on Frontios."

"Why do they come so frequently now?"

"Yes, I have some theories about that, and with your permission I'll return to the Research room and confirm them."

Plantagenet nodded. "Thank you, Doctor."

"Tegan, Lilith." The Doctor inclined his head towards the door.

"Your assistant may stay here with me." Plantagenet said. "That way we'll all trust one another."

"Then perhaps you'll come with Lilith and I, Mister Range?" the Doctor asked the scientist.

"Yes, of course."

"Good." He looked back at the man on the floor. "See you later." Range and Lilith followed the Doctor back to the research room.

"You know, Mister Range," he said, conversationally, "if I'm right these so-called missiles of yours are nothing more or less than natural meteorites."

"Meteorites?" Range questioned. "In such quantities?"

"Oh, it's unusual, I grant you," the Doctor admitted. "But one of the planets in the Veruna system may have disintegrated with long term fall out."

"Surely Captain Revere could have detected that?"

"I bet he did," Lilith muttered, her fingers brushing against her blaster. She had the distinct feeling that they were being followed.

The Doctor looked around the colony ship. "What puzzles me is how it managed to crash in the first place with all that autonomous guidance on board."

"The systems failed," Range said.

"Before the crash?" Lilith questioned.

"Yes. Without the failure, there would have been no crash. The guidance systems, everything, all went together."

"Did they now?" the Doctor said, thoughtfully. "I see why you call it the day of catastrophe." He pushed the door to the research room. It was empty.

"They've gone!" Range exclaimed. "Exploring, by the look of it."

The Doctor went over to the lab table. "Ah, the rock analysis. They look like Widmanstaatten patterns to me, which would seem to confirm that—" He joined Range in looking down at the hole in the floor. "What's the matter?"

"I'm afraid they may be in danger down there," Range said.

"Turlough wouldn't risk an unsafe tunnel."

"No, not that. I've suspected for a long time that Captain Revere ordered the quarry closed because of something he found."

"What sort of something?"

"A geological feature, perhaps. Something beneath the surface it might be dangerous to disturb."

Lilith looked from her father to the scientist, and then started climbing down into the hole.

"What are you doing?" the Doctor asked.

"Going to find your companion." She squinted down the dark tunnels. "I really don't like the looks of this."

The Doctor climbed down too and Range handed him a phosphor lamp. "Are you sure, Doctor? I want to help."

"You will, Mister Range," the Doctor said. "By staying here. These sorts of adventures depend on a well-manned home base."

"Left or right?" Lilith pondered. She looked at the Doctor. "Left," they decided together and headed down one of the tunnels.

"So why exactly are you coming into my past?" the Doctor asked her. "All you've ever said is that you're preventing a paradox."

Lilith shrugged. "That's what I'm doing. Making sure history happens the way it did when he was you."

"'He' being your father."

"'He' being future you." They heard a noise behind them. The Doctor hid and Lilith drew her blaster. "Who's there?"

It was Range with another phosphor lamp. "It's just me."

"I thought you were supposed to be staying behind," she hissed, putting away the blaster

"It's my daughter, young lady. I can't let you and the Doctor take all the risk."

"Has anyone ever told you that you're trigger happy?" the Doctor asked with the slightest bit of a smirk playing on his lips.

"I'm being cautious. For me to be alive, I have to have been born. And for me to have been born, you have to be alive. So excuse me for having more than just a passing interest in keeping you _not dead_ ," Lilith snapped.

"I haven't died yet," the Doctor pointed out.

"You've died four times in the past eight hundred and fifty years."

Range cleared his throat. "I don't think bickering is helping."

Lilith took a deep breath. "He's right. We need to find Turlough and Norna."

The Doctor shushed them. "Listen."

"Argh!" Turlough came running, wild-eyed and staring, straight into Lilith's arms.

"Turlough? Turlough, are you all right?" she asked.

"Tractators," he breathed. "I've seen them!"

"Lilith, look after Turlough. I'm going on alone," the Doctor instructed.

Lilith shook her head vehemently. "Range can look after him. You should know by now that where you go, I go." She handed the still frightened Turlough off to Range and followed the Doctor farther down the tunnel.

They reached a cavern where Norna was being held in a purple force field by what looked like a bunch of giant termites. "So they're Tractators," the Doctor whispered. Tegan entered the cavern from the other side. "No, Tegan, get back!" he hissed.

She obediently backed away, and the Doctor and Lilith ducked down behind a pile of black globes. When the put his head up again, a Tractator got him in a purple field and dragged him out to join Norna.

"No!"


	4. Part 3

_They reached a cavern where Norna was being held in a purple force field by what looked like a bunch of giant woodlice. "So they're Tractators," the Doctor whispered. Tegan entered the cavern from the other side. "No, Tegan, get back!" he hissed._

 _She obediently backed away, and the Doctor and Lilith ducked down behind a pile of black globes. When the put his head up again, a Tractator got him in a purple field and dragged him out to join Norna._

" _No!"_

* * *

Tegan shook her phosphor lamp vigorously, and then threw it. There was a big green flash and the Tractators scattered, releasing the Doctor and Norna from the force field. Lilith rushed out from her hiding place.

"Are you all right?" Tegan asked.

"Get her out of here. We'll hold them off," the Doctor insisted. Tegan started to protest, but she shoved his lamp into her arms. "Out!"

He turned to Lilith. "Does that blaster of yours have a stun setting?"

She rolled her eyes. "So now that we're in actual trouble I can use a weapon." She took out her blaster and set it to stun.

The Doctor dug through his pockets for something useful, then pulled Lilith behind a giant globe as the Tractators returned. The creatures made the globe move with their purple force field.

"Oh, no." The Doctor struggled to stay behind the globe while Lilith took a shot at one of the Tractators. "On the other hand, with a touch of spin…" He aimed the globe at the Tractators rolled it to hit them. The force field vanished. "How's that?"

"Very nice. This is where we run." She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the cavern.

The Doctor spotted a green glow coming around a corner. "Ah, the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel."

Then he and Lilith were enveloped in purple. Lilith swore in Gallifreyan.

"Language!" the Doctor scolded.

They fell forward and started to be dragged backwards. "Oh, I don't know. I think it's warranted in this situation," Lilith snipped.

Tegan came around the corner. "Hold on, I'll give you a hand."

"No, stay back!" the Doctor warned, but Tegan grabbed his hand anyway.

"It's all right, Doctor, I've got you. What's happening?"

"Some sort of gravity beam from the Tractators," he said, scrambling for purchase. "Go, Tegan. Get everyone back to the research room!"

The Doctor and Lilith were tugged back very quickly, pulling Tegan's hand away.

"Got any sort of plan, Dad?" Lilith asked, trying to grab a hold of something.

"Oh, plenty. Nothing that quite fits the gravity of the situation."

"This is really not the time for your bad puns! Can you see the Tractator that's got us in the beam?"

The Doctor nodded. "It's just down the tunnel."

Lilith flipped herself around and shot at where the Tractator was. There was a yelp, and the gravity beam released them. The Doctor and Lilith stood. "Good shot."

"Why, thank you." They started back towards the ladder to the research room. "If only we knew more about damned things."

"I suspect Turlough can help us with that, as soon as we get back."

Lilith heard the sound of the Tractator's gravity beam. "Get back." They both backed against the wall. "Can you see what it's doing?"

"There's someone up there it wants to get down. I'm going to try an experiment." The Doctor pulled a cricket ball from his pocket.

Lilith poked her head around the corner too see the Tractator approaching. "Too late. We want to live, we've got to run." They retreated back into the tunnels. "We've got to find the way out."

"Well, sometimes it's easier to look for the way in and then work backwards."

"Would be easier if all these tunnels didn't look identical."

"Oh, but they aren't." The Doctor picked up chippings from the floor. "What do you make of these?"

Lilith raised an eyebrow. "Are they not bits of the rock that was here before the Tractators carved the tunnels?"

"These chippings have recently been machined from these walls."

"These termites have machines?"

"Functionally advanced ones, at that. They're creating an extensive and elaborate tunnel system. Oh, insect-like they may be, but they're no ordinary insects. They have highly refined powers of abstract reasoning. These Tractators must be very intelligent beings indeed."

"Just what this trip needed," Lilith grumbled. "Giant, intelligent bugs."

The Doctor wet his finger and checked for a breeze. "You're never without a sense of direction while there's an airflow. Air flows from A to B. Usually you want to be at B. Or at A."

"Great, and which is the TARDIS? A or B?"

"Yes, well, I think you can forget about the TARDIS. It's probably scattered in little pieces across the whole of Frontios."

Lilith narrowed her eyes at him. "You do realize this means our only way off this planet is my vortex manipulator and Rassilon knows if I can get the damn thing to take all four of us somewhere safe."

"Yes, well." The Doctor kept walking. "Wait," he said, stopping abruptly. "That's the sound."

"What is it?"

"The machine that did this." The noise got louder. "It seems to be coming this way. Tractators dead ahead."

"This is ridiculous. If you ask me—"

"No one is, Lilith, so shush."

"Rude," Lilith sniffed.

The whirring got louder, but they also heard a beep and turned to look. "Excavating machine or Tractators. Take your pick," the Doctor said.

Lilith sighed. "Termites it is."

They walked into what Lilith guessed was the Tractator's lair, a huge area with metal bracings and a spherical cage in which Plantagenet was sitting. "It's a bit of a problem this, Lilith."

The tunneling machine came up behind them. The head of a man was wired up inside it.

"That's disgusting." Lilith gagged. "Is that a corpse?"

Whatever it was, the machine backed them up towards the Tractators.

"Not exactly. There's a living mind enslaved in the middle of that lot."

"That face. I recognize it from somewhere." She frowned.

The Doctor nodded. "It's Captain Revere."


	5. Part 4

_The tunneling machine came up behind them. The head of a man was wired up inside it._

" _That's disgusting." Lilith gagged. "Is that a corpse?"_

 _Whatever it was, the machine backed them up towards the Tractators._

" _Not exactly. There's a living mind enslaved in the middle of that lot."_

" _That face. I recognize it from somewhere." She frowned._

 _The Doctor nodded. "It's Captain Revere."_

* * *

One of the Tractators spoke. "Two specimens have come down to us from the world above in an undamaged state. This is a rare pleasure."

"Oh, _perfecto_ ," Lilith groaned. "Giant _talking_ termites."

"How do you do. I'm the Doctor. Oh, er, this is Lilith," the Doctor said.

"We know you, Doctor, at least by reputation."

"Then perhaps you won't mind telling us who you are."

"I am the Gravis. Follow me." The Gravis led them to a room with a spiral design on the floor. "This is our center of operations. You see, Doctor, I do not fear you will take this information back to Gallifrey. You will never leave Frontios now."

"Hmm. Well, you could be right, Gravis." The Doctor paced the length of the room.

"Considering the state of the TARDIS," Lilith snorted.

"TARDIS?" the Gravis repeated. "You have a TARDIS?"

"Not any more."

The Doctor went back over to the Gravis. "Ah, not any more than any other Time Lord. You like travel?"

"Only those who have been isolated for millennia truly appreciate the power of mobility. Yes I should like to see your TARDIS. We have been marooned out here on Frontios for nearly five hundred years, as I'm sure the Time Lords already know."

"Yes, I'd better put you right on one thing, Gravis. The Time Lords didn't send me to investigate. Gallifrey operates a policy of strict non-intervention these days. And besides," he wandered over to Lilith, "Frontios is completely outside our normal sphere of influence."

Lilith rolled her eyes. "So basically, you're telling him 'Go ahead, do what your doing. I won't stop you'."

"We mustn't take the narrow viewpoint, Lilith. After all, Gravis and his friends were here long before the Earth colonists."

"You're taking their side? They built the excavating machine! That thing had a man's head in it!"

The Doctor looked at the Gravis apologetically. "Slight communications problem here, Gravis. My assistant hasn't been programmed in the ways of the world. Please forgive the naivety."

"Programmed in the ways of the world, my—"

' _Lilith! Silence! I have a plan, just go with it._ '

The other Tractator put Lilith in a beam. ' _I can_ not _believe you are doing this._ '

"I'm terribly embarrassed about all this," the Doctor said.

' _Oh, you better be._ '

The Gravis waved its disgusting hand. "Not at all, Doctor."

"It must be the humidity causing the malfunction. These serving machines are perfectly reliable on Gallifrey."

"The guard Tractator here will restrain it while I show you more of our work here. It is certainly a very convincing replica of the humanoid life form."

"Oh, you think so? I got it cheap because the walk's not quite right. And then there's the accent, of course. But, when it's working well, it's very reliable. Keeping track of appointments, financial planning, word processing, that sort of thing."

Lilith stared daggers at her father. ' _Yes, I'm your limping, American secretary robot. Lovely._ '

The Gravis led the Doctor away, leaving Lilith and the guard Tractator behind. Lilith rolled her eyes and sent the Doctor a wave of irritation.

' _It's not going to kill me, Lilith,_ ' the Doctor assured her.

' _How do you know that?_ ' she demanded. ' _You're in my head, not its!_ '

Lilith thought she heard footsteps, then thumping, then someone hissing, "Get down!"

The Tractator turns its gravity beam towards the noise.

"It's seen me. It knows I'm here! Help! Help!"

"Turlough!" Lilith shouted. She pulled out her blaster and shot the Tractator. "Tegan! Turlough! Are you okay?"

Tegan helped Turlough to his feet and he nodded. Lilith threw her hands in the air. "Humans and their incessant need to be heroic! The Doctor had a plan!"

"Save the bickering until we're out of here!" said Turlough.

"He's probably in great danger," Tegan worried.

"Orderlies, keep watch on the Tractator and make sure it stays unconscious," Lilith ordered. "Brazen! Follow me!" ' _Tegan and Turlough are here. They're coming for you,_ ' she informed the Doctor, leading the humans to the main part of the lair.

Brazen ran ahead with Tegan and Turlough.

"No, no, no, stay back!" the Doctor insisted. Brazen didn't listen and went over to the tunneling machine where Plantagenet was linked in. "Please, there are far too many of them."

"How do we get him out of this, Doctor?" demanded Brazen.

"Well, theoretically it's highly complex. Practically—"

"No, Doctor!" the Gravis shouted. "I forbid you to touch the machine!"

The Doctor pulled off a linkage, and a bolt of electricity zapped the Gravis. It stumbled around and the other Tractators began stumbling too, seemingly lost.

"What's happening to them?" Tegan wondered.

The Gravis fell on its face.

"Is he dead?" Brazen asked.

"No, no, just stunned. We'll have to work quickly," the Doctor said. They pulled the linkages off Plantagenet, and Brazen dragged him from the machine while the Doctor held the linkages. "Quick! Come on, you three! We're getting out of here."

But Turlough just stood staring at the machine, its linkages flailing around seeking a host.

"Turlough! Turlough!" Tegan yelled.

"Come on, Turlough! Pull yourself together!"

Brazen grabbed Turlough, but Turlough pushes at him and he ended up in the seat. The linkages moved quickly, grabbing onto the man.

"Doctor, the Gravis!" Lilith warned.

The Gravis was getting up off the floor. The Doctor was holding back Turlough.

"Get out of here, sir, while there's time!" Brazen ordered. "Go! That's an order!"

Brazen screamed as the machine assimilated its new host. Lilith helped the Doctor drag Turlough out of the chamber.

Plantagenet collapsed against one of the walls and the Doctor knelt next to him.

"Doctor, I remember everything." Turlough said. "I must tell you!"

"Yes, all in good time, Turlough."

"I know what they are."

"And I know what they're trying to do," said Plantagenet.

The Doctor nodded. "Well, that sounds promising. Put the two things together, we may find a way of stopping them."

"The excavating machine, it's going berserk," Tegan told them.

"I think it's time we left. Come on." The group continued down the tunnels, eventually making it to a naturally occurring cave.

"No sign of them." Tegan sighed.

"Well, these aren't Tractator tunnels," the Doctor observed. "We should be safe here for a while. Keep watch that end." An Orderly obeyed. "Now, what do we know about these creatures?"

"The tunnel system is a gigantic ring, smooth and mathematically precise," Plantagenet said.

"Yes," the Doctor agreed. "They're building a gravity motor."

"A motor?" Tegan questioned.

"That's what they do to planets," said Turlough. "They're going to drive Frontios."

"Hmm, steer it through the galaxy under the power of gravity," the Doctor mused.

"To steal and plunder wherever they go."

"And breed. Infesting new planets. Nowhere in the universe will be safe from them." Lilith paused, thoughtfully. "I wonder if we can stick them on Krop-Tor."

"What's Krop-Tor?" Turlough asked.

"A planet orbiting a black hole."

The Doctor scoffed. "Such a planet couldn't possibly exist."

"Neither can Satan, but we fought him off too."

Tegan shook her head. "But if their excavating machine is wrecked, they can't complete the ring."

"They have another," Plantagenet admitted. "All they need is a driver."

Turlough made a face. "And anyone of us will do for that."

The orderly screamed. Tegan's eyes widened. "That's the orderly."

"It's too late! Tegan, wait!" Lilith went after her.

"Lilith, look!" Tegan pointed to a section of familiar roundels in the rock wall, then another section, and a column.

"The TARDIS!" Lilith breathed. "Bits of her anyway." She spun around to see that the Tractators had found them. She swore in Gallifreyan.

She and Tegan backed away towards a piece of the TARDIS with a door handle on it. The Gravis went up to her. "Perhaps I have been deceived. I think we have found our new driver."

Tegan opened the door and they dashed inside. Some of the console room wall was rock face, but the console itself was intact.

"Glad you could join us," the Doctor said. "Turlough, Plantagenet and I have been working out a plan."

"Well, it had better work because they're right outside," Tegan panted.

"Oh, I rather hoped they would be."

"Turlough has remembered the secret of the Tractators," Plantagenet said.

"Hmm. Apparently they're not really dangerous."

"It's the Gravis they draw their strength from," Turlough explained. "Without him, they're harmless burrowing earth creatures."

Lilith snorted. "They certainly fooled me. So, all we need to do is find a way of isolating the Gravis from the others?"

"That should be fun," Tegan said, sarcastically. "He's not trying to take off, surely?"

"Unfortunately not. None of the controls are functional."

"Why would they be?" Lilith sighed. "And, let me guess, me shooting the Gravis would be detrimental to the plan? Even if it's just to stun?"

Turlough nodded.

"Well, that's it," the Doctor said. "Now, this should either sort out this whole Tractator problem and repair the TARDIS or…"

"Or?" Tegan prompted.

"Or it won't. I suggest you all get under cover."

Tegan, Turlough, Lilith, and Plantagenet hid below the other side of the console.

"It is useless to hide!" the Gravis yelled through the door. "We have you completely in our control now."

The Doctor opened the door and looked out. "Yes, quite." He stepped outside.

"Out of curiosity, what is it with you and that gun?" Turlough asked.

"Excuse you," Lilith sniffed. "This blaster had been saving the Doctor's ass for longer than you've been alive." She paused. "Granted, it _technically_ hasn't happened yet. But my point still stands."

"Shh!"

The Gravis entered the TARDIS. The Doctor followed and shut the other Tractators out.

"The power of travel is beautiful, Doctor. Very beautiful."

"Yes, yes, indeed. Well, as you can see, from this panel, Gravis, I control all of the main TARDIS functions. The time coordinates, spatial coordinates, all inoperative at the moment, of course, because the spatial distribution circuits are switched in." The Doctor casually indicated a switch. The Gravis pressed it. "Ah. Now, you really will have to be more careful, Gravis. Now the autoscan's picking up all the locations of the concealed TARDIS components. Oh, well, not to worry. I shouldn't think it's even within your powers to reassemble them. Besides, what would you want with an old Type Forty Time and Relative Dimension in Space machine, hmm?"

"But I do want it, Doctor," the Gravis said. "The TARDIS. Infinite travel within my grasp."

"Oh. No, Gravis, please. Take everything else but leave me the TARDIS," the Doctor pleaded. Lilith rolled her eyes; his acting skills could be improved upon.

"I will have it," the Gravis insisted.

"Oh no, Gravis, please, I beg you! Spare me the TARDIS!"

"I will have it!"

Turlough poked his head up. "What's he doing, Doctor?" he whispered.

"Shush. This isn't the time to disturb his concentration." The Doctor pushed his head back down.

The whole area started rumbling and shaking.

"Doctor, what have you done?" Plantagenet hissed.

The Doctor joined them under the console. "Brace yourselves."

"Are you sure the TARDIS can survive this, Dad?" Lilith asked.

"It's kill or cure," he responded. The rock faces started to be replaced by TARDIS panels.

"The TARDIS is coming together!"

"That's impossible."

"For you and me, maybe," the Doctor confirmed. "But when the Gravis really wants something."

"The TARDIS will be repaired?" Turlough guessed.

"With a bit of luck, any moment the plasmic outer walls of the TARDIS will seal."

Lilith's eyes widened with understanding. "We'll be in our own dimension."

"If your theory is correct, Turlough, the vital link between the Gravis and his Tractator chums will break. Hold on!"

The lights got brighter, TARDIS walls replaced the rocks and the Gravis collapsed. The light returned to normal and the shaking stopped.

"Is he dead?" Plantagenet asked.

"Oh, no, no, but quite harmless," the Doctor assured them. "And as long as we keep him isolated from the other Tractators, he'll stay that way."

Tegan frowned. "We can't go dragging around the universe with a dormant Gravis on the console."

"Well, the first thing we'll do is drop him off on some uninhabited planet," the Doctor said. Lilith opened her mouth to suggest something. "Not Krop-Tor."

The young Time Lady looked genuinely disappointed.

* * *

Lilith stood outside the medical center, waiting for the Doctor and Tegan to return from letting the Gravis out somewhere. Turlough had collected the hat stand. "Now all we need is a console room to go round it."

Lilith laughed.

"Well the Doctor and Tegan are due back any minute," Range said.

"He's got a present for you," Turlough told them.

Plantagenet blinked. "A present? But it is enough that he has given us our freedom."

"Yes, no more terror descending from the sky."

"Not unless you count the TARDIS," Lilith pointed out.

The TARDIS materialized. The Doctor and Tegan came out. "Well, that's that. The Gravis is safe and well on the uninhabited planet of Kolkokron, exercising his animal magnetism on the rocks and boulders."

"There's nothing but rocks and boulders out there," Tegan said. "All the planets are deserted according to the TARDIS scanner."

"Well, that's better than being among enemies, as we thought," Range said with a smile.

Plantagenet was less enthusiastic. "So, the last of mankind is after all quite alone."

"Alone but in good hands, Plantagenet. Speaking of which, I know it's not much, but, a farewell token." The Doctor presented the hat stand to Plantagenet.

"Frontios is honored, Doctor. But surely you'll stay a while longer and enjoy some of the new colony we're building?"

"Oh no, no. Far too much repair work of my own to be done," the Doctor declined. "Besides, time and the time laws don't permit it. There's an etiquette about these things which we've rather overlooked, I'm afraid."

"But Doctor, you've done so much for us."

"Yes, quite. Don't mention it." The Doctor retreated into the TARDIS.

"He means it, literally. Don't mention it to anyone." Lilith followed her father, followed by Tegan and Turlough. The TARDIS dematerialized.

"Well, this is where I leave." Lilith sighed. "It was nice meeting you Tegan." Lilith shook her hand. "Turlough." She kissed him on the cheek, and then went over to the Doctor.

He smiled at her. "Lilith."

"The celery," she said, straightening the celery on his lapel, "it's kinda cool."

"Remember this, Lilith. No matter what my previous selves say, and no matter how trigger happy you are, you _are_ my daughter."

Lilith beamed and hugged him. "Thanks, Dad." She stepped back and set the coordinates on her vortex manipulator.

In a flash of light, she was gone.

 **Next- Excalibur's Legacy: The Seventh Doctor**


End file.
